"There is no greatness where simplicity, goodness and truth
are absent."
Leo Tolstoy

Monday, March 07, 2016

Dealing With The Donald

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/

This is the week Mr. Trudeau goes to Washington. During his visit, Trudeau says he will steer clear of the subject of Donald Trump. Michael Harris questions the wisdom of that decision:

In the beginning, Trump was just a fascist on a Moped. He disrupted
the sidewalk of national politics — a blowhard, a bully, and a
bloviating billionaire so full of himself that only the worshipful need
apply as supporters. The rest were forcibly removed. Still, most people
thought he would have the political life-expectancy of a mayfly.

But having taken out Jeb Bush and a gaggle of other political
veterans, he is now astride a Harley roaring down the electoral highway
that leads to the White House. Another crypto-fascist, Ted Cruz, is in
second place. A shadow is falling across America.

Normally, it's wise for Canadians not to interfere in American elections. But this year, Mr. Cruz is being called a Canadian. So, like it or not, we're in the mix. But more importantly, a number of world leaders have waded into the debate:

British Prime Minister David Cameron said that Trump’s words were
“divisive, unhelpful, and quite simply wrong”. A lot of Britons seem to
agree. Six hundred thousand of them have signed a petition to keep Trump
out of the United Kingdom — treatment usually reserved for vile
hate-mongers, not U.S. presidential candidates.

London Mayor Boris Johnson described the Trump agenda as “complete and utter nonsense.”

Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Tatal, who has twice bailed Trump out
financially, called him a “disgrace” who should end his candidacy.

And you can bet that, after Trudeau's interview on 60 Minutes, he will be asked about Trump. Dodging the question won't help. But a witty response might -- like Pierre Trudeau's response when told that, on the White House tapes, Richard Nixon referred to him as a "son of a bitch" and an "asshole."

The Elder Trudeau's response? "I've been called worse things by better people."

14 comments:

I would not call myself a Trump supporter. Bernie Sanders is what America should chose. However, I think like me most intelligent people recognize that behind the veneer in America there is much worse than Trump. So its a hobsons choice, but Trump vs Hillary, its no contest for me.

It would be best if Trudeau can avoid commenting on Trump. However, since the media circus is likely to focus on Trudeau instead of Trump for a while, I'm sure Trump will force the issue somehow. He can't stand to be out of the spotlight - even for a couple of days.

That's a very interesting list of world complainer's demonizing Trump.My screen almost exploded from the Hypocracy.If these people are so concerned about Muslims a good start would be to stop bombing them.And as for those fences.I would venture to guess that if M.Harris or any of those mentioned lived in a state where all those illegals are crossing they would buy him the cement or wire.

German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel ludicrously called him “a threat to peace” - ignoring Merkel’s partnership with endless US imperial wars and the human devastation they cause.

Britain’s David Cameron shares blame, a fascist war criminal masquerading as democratic. He called Trump’s remarks on Muslims “divisive, stupid and wrong,” ignoring his own high crimes at home and abroad, partnering in America’s imperial project.The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) voted him and Trump Islamophobes of the year. IHRC’s Massoud Shadjareh said “(p)oliticians should be challenging Islamophobia instead of…paying (it) lip service…”

Notorious Arab-hating Islamophobe Benjamin Netanyahu issued a backhanded slap at Trump through his office, saying “(t)he State of Israel respects all religions and strictly guarantees the rights of all its citizens.”It’s at war with Occupied Palestinians and its own Arab citizens, raging for decades - Netanyahu the latest in a long line regime racist leaders, exceeding the worst of his predecessors.

Saudi royal family member Alwaleed bin Talal Alsaud called Trump “a disgrace not only to the GOP but to all America.”

Former Mexican president Vincente Fox responded to Trump’s call for building a wall along his country’s border and have its government pay for it, saying “I’m not going to pay for that f….ing wall.”Trump demanded an apology, saying “(t)he wall just got 10 feet taller.”

I hope that Trump is on his way to the death of a thousand cuts. No one is inflicting any deep, mortal wounds but he's got months to go and the convention isn't until the second half of July. Will he bleed out in time? That seems to be the big question.

As for Hillary I've been reading a lot of commentary about how, while she'll beat Sanders, he is a ticking timebomb for the Democratic Party. Hillary has been struggling to get the rust off her progressive credentials but it's too obvious and nobody is fooled. Her gender may be the best thing she has going for her. Even then young female Democrats are going for Bernie.

I think the less Trudeau had to say about Trump the better - right up to the point when he becomes (shudder) President. When that happens, he'll have no choice but to (shudder) deal with him.

Could it be that Trump is such a suitable candidate because of his unfailing grade school humour and vulgarity - grade five, perhaps?. It could suggest that that's the approximate level of his supporters' mental and social development couldn't it? It's alarming that there are so many of them.

I fear that if Americans have the choice of Trump or Sanders that they'll choose Trump, and the rest of the world can go to blazes. After all, everybody knows that Sanders is an admitted (shudder) socialist, and that patriotic Americans, real Americans, hate socialists because socialists are (shudder) communists, and communists are godless demons. Trump, on the other hand, is a familiar, successful capitalist who has proven his worth in dollars. "In God We Trust".

Yes Owen.However the only slate he has at this point is as a businessman with some failed buisnesses and some successful ones and his not so political correct words.Would love to see him debate Hillary.In the meantime,I saw Bernie Sanders walk right into it last night.His statement verbatim.“When you’re white you don’t know what it’s like to be living in a ghetto."You don’t know what it’s like to be poor,” he said.

Interesting because according to U.S. Census figures in 2013 the number of poor whites was 18.9 million.

That figure was 8 million more than poor blacks and 5 million more than poor Latinos, the Root reported.And that's where Trump is getting most of his support along with many not so poor who are just fed up with the status quo.

Last night some lady from MI asked Hilary when she prayed who or what she prayed for.I hoped her answer would have been to ask for guidance telling the truth.It wasn't,she lied.

Interesting article here from The Gaurdian on why people are voting for Trump.

About Me

A retired English teacher, I now write about public policy and, occasionally, personal experience. I leave it to the reader to determine if I practice what I preached to my students for thirty-two years.